Patients who have suffered chronic heart failure can feel better with moderate exercise, and it’s safe, according to two articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Even though fewer than half of patients in the study group were complying fully with the recommended exercise regimen – the equivalent of brisk walking or stationary cycling for about two to three hours a week – the benefits shouldn’t be overlooked, given the poor quality of life many chronic heart failure patients have, says Clyde Yancy, M.D., medical director of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute in Houston. “Having any strategy that’s reasonable, that has the potential to help even a little bit, is pretty important,” says Yancy, who was not involved in the research. “The real gain might be in helping our patients feel better.” Some 5 million people in the United States have chronic heart failure, in which the heart becomes too weak to pump blood through the body effectively. Not too long ago, bed rest was the standard treatment for these patients, who suffer from fatigue, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the legs, among other symptoms. But for the past 20 or 30 years, evidence has been trickling in to show that these patients can actually benefit from being active, says Kathryn E. Flynn, Ph.D., of Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

TAGS: American Medical Association, chronic heart failure, exercise, heart patients

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